Winchester MG Owners Club
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Winchester MG Owners Club August 2018 www.winchestermgoc.co.uk Winchester MGOC www.winchestermgoc.co.uk Your Committee: Secretary: Steve Favell [email protected] Chairman: Peter Cranstone [email protected] Treasurer: Heather Ellis [email protected] Programme: Steve Favell [email protected] Merchandise: Niall Fitzgerald [email protected] Members' Representative: Tony Blackmoor [email protected] Newsletter: Steve Penkethman [email protected] In this edition Content Page Secretary's Chat 2 Chairman's Notes 3 From the Editor 5 TF Tech News 6 Milestones Mega Machine Classic Car Show 7 A Round-Up of This Month's Events: Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show 9 July Club Night Run 10 Alton Bus Rally 11 Alton Crotch Cooler 12 WMGOC Events Calendar 13 A Trilogy - Part 1 - Guernsey 2018 14-16 Notes - Wanted - For Sale 17/18 WMGOC Apparel 19 Our Sponsors 20 Please send your articles to the editor at the email address above by 10th of the month. The newsletter will be distributed to club members before the next monthly club night. Pictures should be as large as possible and saved in either jpeg or png. Winchester MGOC meet on the last Tuesday of the month with a Club Drive in Summer and a pub night in Winter. Check the Events pages, or contact the Club Secretary for details 1 Secretary's Chat Our much better than normal summer has kept the events calendar rolling along and it’s only in the last few weeks that the rain (that the gardeners needed) has dented attendance numbers for a few regulars. It is such a shame when that happens but, as we know from our own Cobweb Spin, you just have to move on and look forward to next year. The end of August and early September brings quite a few major ‘motoring’ events, the first of which that involves the WMGOC being Carfest South at Laverstoke Park where we have joined with Basingstoke and Southampton MGOCs to put on a display of MGs across the three days. The Great Dorset Steam Fair runs over the same weekend and I can highly recommend it for the sheer size and variety of displays. There will be a focus on the 100th anniversary of the ending of the Great War with period vehicles, including a tank, taking part. It is the fairs 50th anniversary and they are aiming to gather 500 steam traction engines to mark the milestone. There will also be a full range of classic cars and commercial vehicles, including the horse drawn variety. For a different experience, arrive in the evening (when there are reduced entry charges) and to see the funfair and the showman’s engines lit up after dark. The Beaulieu Autojumble starts on 1st September, the Hinton Arms classic car meet is on the 2nd and the Goodwood Revival is the following weekend. My Grandson has been practicing his pedalling and hopes to get a good placing in the children’s race for Austin J40 pedal cars, so I shall be cheering him along. The National Heritage Open Days that take place every September have now been extended over two weekends. These usually feature historic buildings that offer free entry for this event or are not normally open to the public. Some offer extra ‘behind the scenes’ experiences. WMGOChasagainbeeninvitedtoparticipateandtoprovideadifferentaspectof‘heritage’byputting on a display of classic MGs in front of the Cathedral. Do let me know if you are able to take part on Saturday 15th September and also let me have any suggestions as to how we can fit in with this year’s theme of ‘Extraordinary Women’. Perhaps some story boards / portraits of famous women drivers? Regards Steve Link to heritage open days page featuring WMGOC https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting/event/classic-and-vintage-car- display 2 Chairman's Notes The future of MG is looking bright with two new models on their way possibly and an update to an older model. The important one is the possible re-introduction of a sports car. Whilst it looks like not being a soft top, it is a stunning looking car with details taken from old and new cars of other makes. E-Motion MG are looking to return to its sports car roots with the E-Motion, a sleek looking electric coupe concept that could be heading for production. MG UK's sales and marketing manager Matthew Cheyne expects the E-Motion to make production around 2020, priced below £30,000. Following the release of images, Cheyne said feedback had been good so the car was highly likely to get the green light. The E-Motion features eye-catching butterfly doors and has a four seat layout inside. It uses advanced connectivity systems and touchscreen infotainment for both the front and rear passengers. The E-Motion shares the same front styling treatment as MG's ZS SUV but appears to incorporate a Aston Martin/ Jaguar-like appearance (judge for yourself), with vertical taillights and an uncluttered rear design. Using an all-electric powertrain that has been developed in house, the concept is claimed to be capable of 0-62mph in less than 4.0sec. It has a claimed range of over 310 miles. A sports car is a far cry from the mass-market friendly MG GS SUV and MG 3 supermini, but a MG spokesman emphasised that MG's market was ready for such a product. It would be the first all-electric MG model to be produced since the EV concept of 2014. New MG6 for 2019 in the UK? Following the design of the GS and ZS SUV’s and the E-Motion electric sports car concept, the 6 has a Mazda looking front end, with the intricate pattern like Mercedes-Benz’s design. MG calls the grille ‘Star Rider’. Other higher-end features include sequential indicators and LED lights. On the inside, the 6 goes upmarket over its predecessor, with the option for a red leather interior for the Chinese market. The seats are electrically adjustable. The new car also moving with industry trends with an electronic parking brake, a central infotainment touchscreen and a smaller LCD driving information screen between the two dials. The 3 dashboard is largely button-free, with the steering wheel housing the majority of the controls. Voice control is also included. Further upmarket details on the dash facia are round air vents and silver trim across the interior giving the car a less plastic look as on the previous model. The chassis is shared with the Roewe i6 saloon, which has a wheelbase of 2715mm, making the 6 a rival to the Hyundai i40. This also means that engines are likely to be same as the i6 - a 123bhp 1.0- litre three-cylinder petrol with 125lbft of torque, and the 1.5-litre petrol unit with 164bhp and 184lbft of torque that's also used in the GS. MG3 Revamp for 2019 Finally, there is to be a revamp of the MG3 on its way for 2019 which will be interesting. It’s to have a bigger engine and automatic gearbox. On the outside, the new design looks more cohesive, with familiar flowing lines one would find on rival makes and certainly makes it a better proposition than before. The entire front face has been redone in line with the SUV’s and the rear is one step closer to some Japanese makes. However you look at it when it comes to its exterior design, MG has moved up a notch, but it’s on the inside where there have been the more notable changes by the UK design team. There have been substantial modifications made to the dash facia and instrument cluster, with the integration of a nice 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the higher- end spec models. There is also a new steering wheel. It looks to have a more premium appearance than before, so in terms of value-for-money the updated MG3 looks well and truly to be getting it right. The powertrain has also been updated, with the 1.5-litre 'Plus' petrol engine boosting outputs from the current model's 78kW and 137Nm to a new 88kW at 6000rpm and 150Nm at 4500rpm. Perhaps most importantly for the market, the 2019 MG 3 will have a four speed automatic transmission available. Reports say that given the MG powertrain and output, the four-speed automatic actually does a rather decent job of extracting its potential. Well there you have it, an updated MG3 and two new models on their way, let the good times roll. Peter 4 From the Editor Articles Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the newsletter once again. As the Summer continues don't forget to take a picture of you and your car (and maybe your hat) when you are out and about, and send them to the editor at [email protected]. Items For Sale or Wanted Are you looking for a particular part for your MG? Do you have one for sale? Send the details to the editor and they will be included in the next edition of the newsletter. The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs Ethanol Survey This is from the FBHVC website at http://www.fbhvc.co.uk Help the Federation respond to Government consultation on the introduction of increased levels of ethanol in petrol. The Department of Transport has issued a consultation document on the subject of introducing higher levels of ethanol in petrol. Many older vehicles are likely to suffer damage and possibly dangerous fuel leaks if the E10 grade of petrol is used without modification to their fuel systems.